Defense Industry's Help Needed To Avert Rare Metals Supply Crisis

摘要

Just as the Defense Department and its suppliers worry about dependence on foreign oil, they also must be concerned about growing needs -and potentially declining supplies -of rare earth metals.rnRare earth materials are used in commercial and military systems for their magnetic and other unique properties. They include rare earth ores, oxides, metals and alloys.rnAccording to a recent Government Accountability Office report, worldwide availability of these materials may be limited to a few overseas sources, primarily China. GAO noted that the Defense Department is in the early stages of assessing its dependency on rare earth materials and is planning to complete a study by September 2010.